NJ.com Link from Fran Hopkins. From Asbury side, Monroe Condos. 3/3/17 Photo by Rob Spahr.
Drone photo by Gary Colyer © Special to Blogfinger Click to enlarge.
#26 Lake Ave is intact on the right. Lake Avenue is the white strip. Seaview is horizontal across the top. Drone photo by Gary Colyer © Special to Blogfinger © Click to enlarge.
Send photos and information to Blogfinger@verizon.net Please start the music (below) and then begin looking at the photos.
APP.com is covering the story. Also CBS news, News12.com, and ABC 7.
Early morning 5 am massive fire involves seven structures including the La Pierre Condominiums (16 Lake Avenue) , Warrington (derelict hotel scheduled for conversion), Marlboro condos, and at least four single family homes. At Seaview and Beach Avenues. No injuries reported. 3 alarm fire; 11 towns responded.
7:30 am: A least three homes destroyed. Fire is along Wesley Lake, near the Ocean. 29 Seaview is the only address we have. Wind is 25 mph, accelerating the fire
Jean Bredin Ocean is on top. Lake Ave and Asbury Park is to the left. Seaview is vertical. Blogfinger staff. ©
8 am:
Jean Bredin. Blogfinger staff. ©
8 am. Jean Bredin (Blogfinger staff):
“We were on Lake Ave. (photo above)
Some people who were displaced from the La Pierre were standing around in their robes visibly shaken about losing their home and belongings.
There were some dramatic coverage of the raging flames taken by helicopter on the news.
I heard FIRE sirens about 5:30….when I heard helicopters, I jumped out of bed, ran out on my top porch and saw smoke .
I grabbed my camera and headed to the corner of Ocean Grove…..
Thankfully, no one was hurt.”
8:30 am Carl Hoffman (Ocean Grove resident)
“March is Ocean Groves “fire month.”)
“I heard the fire-engines about 5 am. They did not seem to be in the Grove. It wasn’t until 7:30 am that I heard what seemed to be the sound of a helicopter. I went outside, and there were three copters hovering over the town.
” I went towards the Asbury bridge closest to me and ran into a gal who gave me the low done. She said to turn on the TV. You can see it all.”
6:37 am Thea Bowers. On Central looking east on Seaview. Famous yellow house by police car. © Special to Blogfinger.
Link above from NJ.com
From OGHOA:
“The fire at the La Pierre has displaced a number of residents. If you know of anyone who needs emergency shelter, please let them know that the Camp Meeting Association has opened the Community Room, and that St. Paul’s is open as well.
Displaced residents should contact the Red Cross for emergency assistance.”
NJ.com La Pierre condos. Rob Spahr
La Pierre. Across Wesley Lake. NJ.com. Rob Spahr taken from AP Monroe Condos NJ.com Rob Spahr
8:45 am All utilities cut off in vicinity of fire. Firefighters gaining control. Link below from NBC local news.:
9 am Fire under control. 2 minor firefighter injuries–both reported to be fine. Moe Demby
9 am Neptune press conference: Fire started at the Warrington Hotel. Read Blogfinger reports about the Warrington by entering “Warrington” into the little search box at the top of this page, upper right. This hotel has been in the news, with many issues discussed on Blogfinger.net
9 am: Hoses are off. White smoke continues to billow.
9 am: From Jack Bredin, Blogfinger.net staff reporter:
Apparently, the fire started in the Warrington and affected every other building on the block , with the exception of the famous yellow house at 26 Lake Ave.
Houses known to be affected : (4 were totally destroyed)
29 Seaview. (House)
Warrington Hotel (derelict building completely destroyed)
19 Seaview (house)
Marlboro Condos. At-17 Seaview (some damage)
2 cottages on Seaview behind the Marlboro
La Pierre condos, 16 Lake Ave.
10:30 am from Ocean Grover Lee Morgan:
This destroyed single family home is next to 26 Lake Avenue . Photo by Lee Morgan. Special to Blogfinger.net.
CBS NY video:
Last October, Blogfinger posted it’s first article “the Case of the Worrisome Warrington.” As part of that piece we interviewed an elderly gentleman who lived alone in one of those SeaView cottages adjacent. You all should re-read that piece which Dr. Carol mentions in her comment today:
https://blogfinger.net/2016/10/07/the-case-of-the-worrisome-warrington/
BACH “Arioso”
I don’t know about nonconforming use, but the Warrington was NOT scheduled for demolition. It was to be converted to a boutique hotel.
Aggravated: Some rule loosening could be looked into, but the main issue is the Township not making the owners of these properties maintain them! The Township should be taking them to court, weekly if needed, with inspections, large fines, negative publicity and take over of the property if needed.
This fire was preventable, and the Township Committe are the ones who let it happen!
There also should be an independent investigation of the relationship between the slum lord owners and the Neptune Township!
In the press conference it was stated that the Warrington was a structure “scheduled for demolition” Really! And what happened to “Non conforming use” I was told that if my 4 family was destroyed it could only be replaced with a single family structure because of “non conforming use”
Doug:
I agree 100%. A more tolerant demolition process might allow owners of these properties take down the structure and sell the land.
Absent that, these derelict properties need to be taken from the owners and auctioned off, or demolished by the town and then have the lot put up for sale. Legally and financially this is a problem for the town, but no one wants to take advantage of state legislation available for this purpose.
And the HPC needs to make fire prevention a priority in their Guidelines. Forget about “reveal and replace”. It’s a transparent way to get around replacing wood slats with hardy plank. And white elephants like the Warrington need to be removed from HPC jurisdiction for demolition purposes.
The town is a fire hazard.
This exactly why Neptune officials need to stop bowing to developers who are reducing the space between structures even more than they were before. And yes wisher “FOUR new homes smooshed right next door to the Warrington” could have been a disaster for firefighters and residents.
SIMON
As one of the owners whose home was destroyed by this fire, do we have any recourse for what the Warrington owners allowed to happen?
Seaview Avenue residents tried so hard to tell Neptune what was going on.
Sawbucks Contracting was suppose to be making this high class boutique hotel;
From the end of last summer the neighbors noticed 3 men working 2-3 days a week, then no one came for the past few week. It was all a fabrication to hide what was really going to happen. This devastation could have been avoided.
NEPTUNE: LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE.
Aggravated Curmudgeon: We do know already that the fire began at the Warrington. The Neptune Fire Chief advised as such.
The fire may well have started at the Warrington (we don’t know yet), a white elephant that should have been demolished years ago. This was prevented in part by the absurd building restrictions imposed by historic preservation. And the HPC won’t recognize the problem of fire risk. They fought hardy plank tooth and nail to keep houses made of wood. Even now, they have a “reveal and replace” policy insisting that wood replaces wood on the exterior. Their exclusive and narrow focus on preservation is just not realistic in Ocean Grove, where a fire could become a conflagration under the right weather conditions.
My understanding is they removed the drywall from the Warington last year because of mold. If so, then it was just a pile of wood waiting for a match.
Another thought, can you imagine what this would have been if the old Park View had not been demolished?
I suggest that everyone start sending emails or letters to the Township Committee and news sources, asking how this happened; how does the Neptune Government allow firetraps to exist all over a historic district? Why do they allow conditions to exist that risk lives?
Is the goal to obtain more tax revenue from more expensive home/condos built on the vacant lots? Or maybe it is the increased ground rents for such properties?
Other towns have laws they enforce to make repairs and bill the owners; why doesn’t that happen her?
This morning I walked past 14 New York Ave on the way to the latest fire; It is abandoned, porch is collapsing; one match would light it up in a fireball like this morning’s and it would probably take out the tents and Auditorium at the same time!
Why do we stand for this?
The Asbury Hotel in AP has opened it’s doors to anyone in need of shelter or assistance.
March: perfect time of the year to burn down a derelict hotel. Town mostly empty, good winds, etc. Remember Manchester on Ocean Pathway? March, 2010. Then the abandoned (being renovated?) building on Surf? March, 2011. Now, the Warrington!
WHAT THE F IS GOING ON? Pyromaniac in OG? Owners destroying for insurance?
Just went to the community center and did not find anyone.
Went to St.Paul’s to see if I could volunteer, and the Red Cross had things under control; about 10 people there being helped. Left my contact info in case they needed something in the future.
Oh, this is horrible. I remember your interview* of the gentleman who lived next to the derelict Park View hotel — on this same block — who was so terrified of a fire starting from squatters living at the Park View that he kept a suitcase packed by his front door.
Just a few months after the Park View was finally demolished, now I fear he has lost his home due to a fire from the Warrington.
*Dr. Carol: Thanks for remembering. That article has been reposted on Blogfinger beneath the main post about the fire. —PG
Is the Marlboro that big building facing the ocean? When I hear about fires in OG and my toes curl. It’s so dangerous!
Editor’s note: The big pink building is the La Pierre. There is a second smaller condo building there called The Marlboro.–PG
Really…the Warrington?!?! This is an all too common issue in our beloved town. Neptune needs to start making our town a priority or get out of the way. Ocean Grove needs to act more proactively to avert such catastrophes in the future. This was a disaster that was years in the making. Surprised it hasn’t happened more frequently.
I feel beyond terrible for all those who have suffered property damage and unnecessary loss. Thankfully nobody was badly hurt. A big “Thank You” to the brave firefighters who are consistently able to impress us in the worst of situations. Please let us know how we can help.
Thank you Blogfinger for being such a wonderful resource. I’m sure there will be much more to come…
We at Blogfinger.net have been pleading for Neptune Township to address the various illegal land use issues surrounding the Warrington.
Maybe if the property had been dealt with honestly, it would have been demolished some time ago and perhaps there would be an empty lot there (as with the Park View site) or perhaps fire-safe single family homes.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.
I put request on Twitter to Neptune OEM asking how many OG fires in the last ten years started in abandoned/under construction buildings. Asked for a response. Thank you to Blogfinger for the unrelenting push for transparency.
Does anyone know where can we donate items to residents ?
Yes, Neptune fire chief stated that the fire started at the Warrington and is being “investigated”.
Yes, the Marlboro was also damaged, but not completely.
Says Jack: “The Case of the Worrisome Warrington Part 4” ? Suspicious origin given the dubious plans to illegally reconstruct that building.
Hey Finger,
Woke up to news of this fire and was searching other local news outlets for information to send you. Took my first look at Blogfinger and saw you were on it since early this morning- should have known. By the way, your site has better information than any of the local networks! So congrats on being on top of this local emergency.
Most recent information shows at 9am no major injuries ; 2 firefighters with minor injuries- both reported to be fine
And they were about to build FOUR new homes smooshed right next door to the Warrington. That would really been a danger to the firefighters and residents.
I wonder if the Marlboro was damaged.
Think anyone at the township will do anything about the derelict buildings around town now??
I personally think that the politicians in this town are to blame for this! Time and time again residents have brought these buildings to their attention. Thankfully no one seems to be hurt!!! THIS TIME!!!
This has got to stop! We must complain to the State or our Government about the Suspicious fires in our town. The Warrington Hotel is now involved in a fire, after the much talk about their desire to turn it into a boutique hotel.
So sad. Wonder if it started at the Warrington.